New York Times and USA Today Bestseller
He’s been a bad, bad rake—and it takes a governess to teach him a lesson
The accidental governess
After her livelihood slips through her fingers, Alexandra Mountbatten takes on an impossible post: transforming a pair of wild orphans into proper young ladies. However, the girls don’t need discipline. They need a loving home. Try telling that to their … discipline. They need a loving home. Try telling that to their guardian, Chase Reynaud: duke’s heir in the streets and devil in the sheets. The ladies of London have tried—and failed—to make him settle down. Somehow, Alexandra must reach his heart . . . without risking her own.
The infamous rake
Like any self-respecting libertine, Chase lives by one rule: no attachments. When a stubborn little governess tries to reform him, he decides to give her an education—in pleasure. That should prove he can’t be tamed. But Alexandra is more than he bargained for: clever, perceptive, passionate. She refuses to see him as a lost cause. Soon the walls around Chase’s heart are crumbling . . . and he’s in danger of falling, hard.
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I loved this even more than The Duchess Deal. Great fun and wonderfully romantic. As usual Mary Jane Well’s narration of the audiobook was stellar.
As always Tessa Dare delivers such a fantastic read and I literally couldn’t put it down! Highly recommended!
The Governess Game: Girl Meets Duke by Tessa Dare is book Two in the Girl Meets Duke series. This is the story of Alexandra ‘Alex’ Mountbatten and Chase Reynaud. I have read the previous book (and loved it!) but this can easily be a standalone book. We do see the other characters from the previous book but they are in a supporting role. While on that topic I must say the secondary characters who are her friends just make me crazy with wanting to read their story. Hopefully they will be out soon!
Alex father took her to sea after his wife/her mother died. There she learned to everything on a ship but it wasn’t until the ship went into trouble and Alex was out to sea by herself for about 8 days. Then she was given to the nearest relatives who just sent her off to school never to deal with her. But she meet friends and started earning a living as a clock setter. When she went to Chase’s house to ask about him using her services he quickly though she was a Governess and offered the job. Chase doesn’t do love or relationships. Due to his up bringing and in addition the one time he was to care for someone they died on his watch. Now as the Duke’s heir his is in charge of two little girls who are unknown to be illegitimate or not. But he is trying not to get attached to them. But they are little devils and feeling as if now one cares. So Alex is hearts goes out to them and even Chase.
This was just wonderful! It had humor, tears, a wounded hero, strong heroine and great secondary characters. I can never recommend Ms. Dare’s books enough….they are the best stories!
This book was so fantastic. I love Tessa Dare’s writing and world building. She’s definitely one of my absolute top favorites.
Loved this book! I laughed out loud so many times!
Alexandra “Alex” Mountbatten met Chase Reynaud six months ago when he ran into her in a bookshop – literally – they did not exchange names but she never forgot him and he was the star in many of her fantasies. Secretly she hoped that he was thinking of her and they would met again.
Be careful what you wish for! They do meet again, but it is clear Chase doesn’t recognize her and mistakes her for a governess applicant. Chase is heir presumptive to his uncle, the Duke of Belvoir and as his uncle is incapacitated, Chase has taken over his duties, including the care and guardianship of two young hellions. He is desperate for a governess to teach the girls enough that they will be accepted into school. Chase is a rake and refuses to form attachments or make promises. When Alex takes him to task, he knows she is the perfect person to get the girls ready for school. He drags her up to meet them, but upon entering the room and seeing what appears to be a gruesome murder scene, Alex flees. Chase follows and offers her an outrageous amount of money to stay, but Alex refuses.
Later when a panic attack causes her to lose her chronometer and therefore her livelihood, she returns to his house and accepts the job. She starts the next day and immediately realizes two things, one, Rosamund and Daisy are not going to be easy and two, Chase is not going to be easy to ignore. She tries to bond with the girls, but quickly recognizes their pain, for she has been in their shoes. When she is awoken the next morning to attend the funeral of Millicent, Daisy’s doll, she learns that this is an almost daily occurrence and one Chase is also part of. Chase is called to perform the service and tries his best to make Alex laugh.
They all settle into a routine, the girls ignoring Alex, pulling pranks, Alex using Chase’s telescope to try and find a comet (her new profession) and daily funeral services with Chase officiating. Alex begins to see the real Chase and tries to include him in the girls lives. But Chase just seems to want to complete his Cave of Carnality and get back to his rakish ways. Slowly they get to know each other and kisses follow. She wonders what happened to make such a loving man keep everyone at arms length.
When the truth is revealed, Alex tries to make Chase see that he can move on from his past and help the girls, but Chase doesn’t believe he can be trusted and keeps pulling away. When Alex finally finds a comet, Chase is by her side and helps her face her own fears. They both confess their love and it seems like their HEA is well in hand. But when the unexpected happens, words are exchanged and hearts are broken. Can Chase finally conquer his demons and win back the only woman he has ever loved?
This was an extremely well written, witty, fast paced novel, that was nearly impossible to put down. Alex and Chase are wonderful leads, they both have things in their pasts that affect them, but they are incredibly supportive of each other, the secondary characters are great and highly entertaining, the love scenes are steamy, the story grabs you from the first pages and doesn’t let go until the last word. I highly recommend this book, it is the second in the Girl Meets Duke series, but it can absolutely be read as a stand alone with no problem.
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an uncorrected eARC that was provided to me by Edelweiss and the publisher*
4.5 Stars
Alexandra Mountbatten works setting the times on clocks but she tumbles into the Thames & her livelihood slips through her fingers, she takes on an impossible post: transforming a pair of wild orphans into proper young ladies. However, the girls don’t need discipline. They need a loving home. Try telling that to their guardian, Chase Reynaud. The ladies of London have tried and failed to make him settle down.
Like any self-respecting libertine, Chase lives by one rule: no attachments. When a stubborn little governess tries to reform him, he decides to prove he can’t be tamed.
This is the second book in the series & we met Alex in the first book, this book could well be read on its own. The characterisation is so very, very good & the verbal spats between Alex & Chase are brilliant, their attraction is apparent from the start & that first kiss was toe curling. The pace of the story is good & flows effortlessly. Rosamund & Daisy are delightful & add so much to the book. I really liked Alex who had worked to better herself. I liked Chase but not entirely happy with the way he pursued a member of his staff, this was the only downside for me in an otherwise lovely book.
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read
This was such an original story and I kept turning pages to see what would happen. I adored the smart, likable heroine, and rooted for her from the beginning. Of course, because this is a romance, you know the story ends, but Tessa kept me guessing and I loved the ending! Definitely recommend!
Tessa Dare books never fail to cheer me up.
I’ve been enchanted by several of Tessa Dare’s books, and while I’ve enjoyed all of them, I did notice a propensity for her heroes to turn up with “issues” just in time for the black moment. Not this time!
Refreshingly, Chase is a flawed hero, and we get a glimpse into his issues from the start, issues that carry him to the black moment. Fortunately for him, Alexandra sees right through him. She has issues of her own and while she understands what makes him tick, she also draws a line in the sand that she won’t cross.
This was so much fun, from their awkward first meeting to her real-world glimpse at the man she’d romanticized, to the quirky children who insist on a doll funeral every morning. Very satisfying read that I would highly recommend.
Tessa Dare’s books always makes me happy. They’re laugh-out loud funny and touching as well with clever banter, tug-at-the-heartstrings back story, and pretty steamy sexytimes. The characters are likable, easy to root for, and they grow throughout the book. There’s always friendship, family, and genuine love and caring.
For me, The Governess Game takes it up a notch. Personally, I consider this the most special Tessa Dare book yet and my favorite so far. It’s the way that she shares her children through Rosamund and Daisy. It’s her embrace of the Filipino culture (in Alexandra’s identity and background) which is very much part of her real life. When ‘diversity and inclusion’ are mere buzz words for many white authors, Tessa Dare champions the cause and proves she is an advocate for representation.
Needless to say, I love everything about this book. Chase’s reluctant love for his wards, his attempts at self-denial because of a tragedy in his past, his vain attempts at remaining a rake, his attraction to Alex that started as physical and blossomed into love. I love the girls, John Barrow, Penny and Nicola, Ash (love, love, love him) and Emma. And, I especially love Alexandra, my new favorite of Tessa Dare’s heroines. She’s smart, resolute, strong, and lovely. Best of all, she’s part-Filipina. Yay!
This story is well written and filled with wit and humor. Although it is part of a series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone. To me, the best part of the story is Chase’s wards and the daily funerals for Millicent.
Chase and Alex had a run-in at Hatchard’s bookstore – literally. She’s daydreamed about him every day in the six months since then. She has no clue who that handsome green-eyed man was, but she dreams that he is out there looking for her and thinking of her every day.
Alexandra Mountbatten (Alex) supports herself by setting clocks in the homes of wealthy customers. Once per week, she would go to the home and set the clocks to Greenwich time and she guaranteed accuracy. In order to guarantee that accuracy, she had to calibrate her chronometer once a fortnight in order to keep it accurate.
Mr. Charles (Chase) Reynaud is heir presumptive to the Duke of Belvoir. How he came to be that heir fills him with self-loathing. He feels worthless, incapable of love and certainly not deserving of it. Not anybody’s love. Nobody should get close to him because he can’t keep them safe. So, what is he to do when he finds himself with two young girls as his wards. Well – he will keep them through the summer and as soon as school is in session in the fall, he’ll ship them off to school. All he has to do is keep them away from him for the summer.
The children, to me, are what make this story. The oldest, Rosamund, is only ten-years-old and her sister Daisy was a few years younger. Their lives have already been hard. As orphans, they’ve been passed from guardian to guardian and haven’t had any love and stability in their lives since their mother died. Their only recourse is to seek attention however they can get it – and be prepared to be shoved off to yet another caregiver. They’ve managed to be kicked out of several schools and just the summer they have already managed to cause fifteen governesses to leave their post.
Chase is about to pull his hair out because yet another governess has left. Then, there is a knock on his door and he assumes it is a candidate for the position. It is not. Alex has approached what she thinks is the servant’s entrance to a wealthy home because she wants to speak with the housekeeper and sell her services as a clock setter. Chase won’t pause long enough to hear Alex’s story and he keeps offering her the governess job – he’ll pay her whatever it takes to have her take the position. During their exchange, Alex realizes what a rake Chase is and wants nothing to do with him. She puts him in his place and leaves.
Later, Alex is running late to take her chronometer for calibration and decides to take a wherry boat rather than try a hackney. When Alex panics after she is onboard and tries to leave the boat, she ends up falling into the Thames – along with her chronometer. Alex is now out of work with no way to support herself. It appears her only option is to go back and take that governess position.
I liked Alex. She was lovely, steadfast, caring and she knew who she was and what she wanted. I liked Chase too but did get tired of his low self-esteem and self-loathing. It was a bit too much. He was supposed to be a notorious rake, but we didn’t really see any of that and as soon as he saw Alex, that behavior was over. I could have bought that a bit better if it happened in a later chapter – after they knew each other a bit – but this happened in the first chapter.
I enjoyed the book and hope you will as well.
Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages…
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview
“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”
This story is well written and filled with wit and humor. Although it is part of a series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone. To me, the best part of the story is Chase’s wards and the daily funerals for Millicent.
Chase and Alex had a run-in at Hatchard’s bookstore – literally. She’s daydreamed about him every day in the six months since then. She has no clue who that handsome green-eyed man was, but she dreams that he is out there looking for her and thinking of her every day.
Alexandra Mountbatten (Alex) supports herself by setting clocks in the homes of wealthy customers. Once per week, she would go to the home and set the clocks to Greenwich time and she guaranteed accuracy. In order to guarantee that accuracy, she had to calibrate her chronometer once a fortnight in order to keep it accurate.
Mr. Charles (Chase) Reynaud is heir presumptive to the Duke of Belvoir. How he came to be that heir fills him with self-loathing. He feels worthless, incapable of love and certainly not deserving of it. Not anybody’s love. Nobody should get close to him because he can’t keep them safe. So, what is he to do when he finds himself with two young girls as his wards. Well – he will keep them through the summer and as soon as school is in session in the fall, he’ll ship them off to school. All he has to do is keep them away from him for the summer.
The children, to me, are what make this story. The oldest, Rosamund, is only ten-years-old and her sister Daisy was a few years younger. Their lives have already been hard. As orphans, they’ve been passed from guardian to guardian and haven’t had any love and stability in their lives since their mother died. Their only recourse is to seek attention however they can get it – and be prepared to be shoved off to yet another caregiver. They’ve managed to be kicked out of several schools and just the summer they have already managed to cause fifteen governesses to leave their post.
Chase is about to pull his hair out because yet another governess has left. Then, there is a knock on his door and he assumes it is a candidate for the position. It is not. Alex has approached what she thinks is the servant’s entrance to a wealthy home because she wants to speak with the housekeeper and sell her services as a clock setter. Chase won’t pause long enough to hear Alex’s story and he keeps offering her the governess job – he’ll pay her whatever it takes to have her take the position. During their exchange, Alex realizes what a rake Chase is and wants nothing to do with him. She puts him in his place and leaves.
Later, Alex is running late to take her chronometer for calibration and decides to take a wherry boat rather than try a hackney. When Alex panics after she is onboard and tries to leave the boat, she ends up falling into the Thames – along with her chronometer. Alex is now out of work with no way to support herself. It appears her only option is to go back and take that governess position.
I liked Alex. She was lovely, steadfast, caring and she knew who she was and what she wanted. I liked Chase too but did get tired of his low self-esteem and self-loathing. It was a bit too much. He was supposed to be a notorious rake, but we didn’t really see any of that and as soon as he saw Alex, that behavior was over. I could have bought that a bit better if it happened in a later chapter – after they knew each other a bit – but this happened in the first chapter.
I enjoyed the book and hope you will as well.
Please check out my reviews at:
Blog: https://flippinpages.blog/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/flippinpages…
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlippinPagesRev
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbBookReview
“I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher.”
Loved this book. The hero and his man cave…
When Alexandra Mountbatten goes looking for a housekeeper in Mayfair, she ends up face to face with a man she only dreamed of meeting again and then he offers her a completely different job of the one she’s looking for. But when fate intervenes and she loses her livelihood, she’ll go back to his house and strike a deal to take the position as governess of a couple of unruly young girls for the summer.
Chase Reynaud was not meant to be the heir to the duchy much less to inherit the responsibilities that include his young charges. Now he’s saddled with a pair of rather peculiar girls that won’t abide by the rules or keep a governess for a day. Out of options and patience, he’ll hire a woman who arrived at his doorstep and didn’t hesitate to give him a dressing down.
I’ve been definitely hooked in the author’s stories. This one is fun, clever, romantic, fast paced and so easy to read. Ms. Dare manages to write stories that are heartfelt without being overly dramatic and the characters are dashing, daring and altogether unusual, but don’t sacrifice the sometimes tragic pasts that brought them to the point in their lives we are reading about. In this case, both Chase and Alexandra live with the nightmares of their pasts, but the way they each deal with them are completely different and that makes them a great couple who truly complement each other.
I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read the next in the series.
Frothy, delicious ice cream sundae of a story! Loved the characters, the humor, the romance. Looking forward to reading more by this author!
This book made me feel all the things. It was such a joy to read. I love wounded damaged heroes – probably because they seem to deserve a happy ending the most and phew…the soon to be Duke, Chase Reynard is a perfect example. Chase was fourth in line to the title but circumstances have changed. Now he’s the heir apparent and the guardian to two orphan girls. He believes he is so broken and not worthy of love even though he’s not. He’s a good man and you just know love will let him see he’s such a kind, sweet, good guy who deserves all the things. Alexandra Mountbatten sets clocks for a living and she has a life plan that includes buying a small cottage with her saved wages. Alex meets Chase when she goes to his house to offer her clock setting services. He mistakes her for a new governess to corral his out of control wards. Alex and Chase’s journey to their inevitable HEA is a beautiful but painful dance. This book has a little bit of everything – sweet moments, fan your face steam, real life issues, imperfect characters, tearful moments, and heart squeezing love – expect to laugh, to swoon, and to cry. And Daisy and Rosamund were wonderful additions to this tale. While I love reading romances for the HEA, when real life issues are included – like money problems, death, and social judgment – and the scars those experiences leave, it makes for more three dimensional characters and more well rounded storylines. This story was a masterpiece of all the things and I will definitely keep reading the
3 stars – I liked it
After her livelihood slips through her fingers, Alexandra Mountbatten finds herself taking the post of governess for two adorable and troublesome little girls. Their guardian, Chase Reynauld, is a renowned rake and Alex finds herself struggling to not fall in love with him.
Alexandra and Chase’s romance was an enjoyable slow-building one that was filled with pining and emotional scars. Alex was a remarkably smart woman who had a very fascinating childhood. I thought she was wonderful with the girls, especially with finding ways to get them interested in learning.
Chase was a rake but an honorable one. I found his determination to keep Alex and the kids at a distance a little annoying after a while, but his fears were understandable. I really enjoyed his dedication to providing eulogies for Daisy’s doll’s many deaths. While I don’t normally love kids in romances, these two kids were pretty enjoyable, especially Daisy and her morbid curiosity.
I enjoyed this second book in the Girl Meets Duke series. It was a good follow up to Emma and Ash’s story. I can’t wait to read the next book because it is Lady Penelope’s!
I adored this book! That damned doll died of more random diseases and illnesses than I even could imagine what a child could know about!
4.5 stars rounded up.
When her means to earn her living is lost to her, Alexandra Mountbatten has little choice but to take on the daunting task of turning two mischievous orphans into proper young ladies. She soon realizes the girls don’t need rules and punishments but rather love and security, but their guardian, Chase Reynaud, is skeptical. He’s earned his reputation as a devil may care charmer whom no lady has been able to tame. Alexandra has to find a way to make him admit what’s really in his heart without losing hers.
Chase has only one rule in life: he must not form any attachments. With anyone. So, when the new governess tries her hand at changing his ways, he decides to show her a few of his own skills, the pleasurable kind. Chase thinks to show Alex just how irredeemable he is but he underestimates her passion and tenacity. Alex refuses to give up on him and soon Chase is scrambling to repair the walls around his heart as she sets them crumbling down.
I thought this was such a cute story. I usually enjoy a good reformed rake trope and this was no exception. Even though our hero isn’t so much the rake, he has a ruined reputation and is a commitment-phobe so he was close enough to count. Chase just needed to experience love, and acceptance and believe he was worthy of those things, to open his heart to Alex and the girls. Alex was the perfect foil for him, and I loved that she was brutally honest with him, refusing to hear any excuses, but without ever compromising on her views or values. I enjoyed the wit and humor employed here, especially with Alex’s friends and the girls as they terrorized the household. The pacing here was nice and quick, so my attention was held, and I breezed through this audiobook very quickly. Some of my favorite scenes were actually those between Ash and Chase so maybe the romance could’ve been just a smidge stronger, but I still thought it was solid and I especially loved the stargazing scenes. I could’ve done with a bit less angst, however, and a quick resolution to Chase’s issues after he did finally open himself up to Alex. Also, though I think it was about as well done here as I’ve ever seen, I still just do not like the third act separation. This also meant we got a bit less steam than I’d like, most especially intimate scenes with emotional connection. This felt like a missed opportunity since we got one scene with a very raw and vulnerable Chase, then a regression from him without another intimate scene at the reconciliation, which I think could’ve been a chance for something really beautiful. Overall though, I loved the characters and the humor, and the plot kept me invested.
Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspot.com/2021/05/the-governess-game-by-tessa-dare-audio.html